


Crossing These Crooked Lines

by Faith2u



Category: Fifth Harmony (Band)
Genre: F/F, Ships may get bigger, scratch that, ships are most definitely gonna get bigger
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-04
Updated: 2015-09-04
Packaged: 2018-04-19 01:51:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4728293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Faith2u/pseuds/Faith2u
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"For a moment, her heart slammed against her chest, pounding in a way that she wished it wouldn’t."</p><p>The amount of flirting and "gay moments" shared between the five of them, caused the line between this-is-what-friends-do and maybe-I-actually-do-want-to-kiss-you, to be crooked and blurred. Each of them waited for the other to act; waiting to see who would cross that annoying line first.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Bubba? Can I ask you a potentially risqué question?" Camila asked into the dark.

They were in their hotel room watching a movie and snuggled up together as usual. Well, Dinah was watching the movie. Camila's mind had been drifting across the universe since the moment Prince Naveen came into the picture, strumming away on his Ukulele to his hearts content.

The Tongan snorted and started shifting the weight of the girl who lay on top of her; having lost the feelings in her legs. Camila nuzzled her neck and honest-to-God whined in protest because their previous position had been so perfect. Dinah groaned loud and obnoxiously but shifted back because, well, legs weren't that important.

"The riskier the better, Chanch." She sighed, tapping a beat on the girl's thigh.

Camila paused then mumbled something unintelligible into her neck.

Dinah rolled her eyes with a smile "I can't answer the question if I don't know what you said weirdo."

The Cuban huffed and nuzzled the girl's neck again, causing Dinah chest to rumble with laughter. She swore Camila was just a puppy in a girl's body. With a grin Camila moved her head a bit and looked up at Dinah. When the girl looked back, her smile started to falter and her eyes flickered a few inches lower. She licked her lips for a minute and swallowed before laying her head on Dinah's chest and playing with the hem of the other girl's shirt.

"Are you a virgin?"

Dinah stopped tapping on her legs.

"Sorry, don't answer that. Stupid question very personal I'm an idiot do you want popcorn? I think we need popcorn. I'm going to get pop-"

"No." Camila was in the process of scrambling out Dinah's hold when she cut her off.

"You- you don't want popcorn?" she asked, squirming slightly.

"I'm not a virgin." Dinah admitted softly, releasing her grip on the girl. Camila paused before biting her lip and sitting sideways on her lap.

"How was it?"

Dinah sat up slightly and scratched the back of her neck. "Uhm I don't know it was okay, I guess."

"Really? That's it? Just okay?" Camila furrowed her eyebrows and frowned a bit.

"I mean... Yea, honestly. It was more fun for the other guy."

"Was he small or something? Inexperienced?" Camila lay down on top of her, resting her head on her shoulder.

Dinah scrunched her face with a laugh. "He wasn't actually." She said wrapping her arms around the girl's waist. "He was a size 16 shoe if ya know what I mean. And yea, it wasn't his first go."

"Then why didn't you like it?"

"Because I didn't like him." Camila shifted then, propping herself up to meet Dinah in the eyes. There was a sense of panic and alarm in Camila's actions; she had misinterpreted her words.

"Not like that." Dinah clarified "don't worry, everything was consensual." The Cuban let out sigh before returning to her original position. "I just... I didn't like him like him. He was a nice guy and everything but my heart wasn't in it."

Camila hummed but didn't say anything, instead fiddling with the hem of Dinah's shirt again.

"Chanch?"

"Yea."

" Why'd you ask?"

Camila bit her lip and shrugged. "I don't know. Just... curios."

Dinah rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Oh please."

"What?"

"China, you and I both know that wasn't the "potentially risqué" question you wanted to ask me." She deadpanned. When Dinah glanced down, she softened at the embarrassed blush spreading through the Cubans face and sighed. Tenderly, she ran her fingers through Camila's hair, in hopes to make her feel better "I don't know why you do that Mila. Just tell me what's on your mind. Honestly."

Save for the movie playing on in the background, the room stayed silent. Camila chewed on her lower lip nervously, hating that Dinah had known her so well. With a sigh she finally managed to sit up and meet the girl in her patiently waiting eyes.

"Did you... Uhm have you ever... What would you do if Uhm if a- a Uh... Ugh." Annoyed, Camila ran her fingers through her hair with an irritated sigh. "Okay, uhm hyp-hypothetically speaking if- uhm lets- say a- a uh..."

Dinah knitted her eyebrows at the struggle her friend was going through just to ask a question. After a few more moments of seeing her become more and more flustered, the youngest finally shushed her by bringing a finger to her lips. "Hey, take your time okay? I'm not going anywhere Walz."

Camila took that time to study her best friend. The soft glow of the TV illuminated her face, defining the girl's features. Dinah wasn't wearing any make up, which Camila preferred over anything else. The youngest member of their girl group was naturally beautiful; her skin a gorgeous tan, the gracious God sculpted her bone structure, and her eyes always sparkled even in the darkest of rooms.

Something familiar fluttered at the pit of Camila's stomach, and for a second she forgot to breath. Her fingers stopped worrying the tail of Dinah's shirt but instead of pulling back, the older girls palms flattened against her abdomen as she leaned forward.

"You gonna kiss me or somethin?" Dinah smirked as her mischievous eyes met Camila's, snickering when the girl flushed and jumped back a bit.

"I'm... That's not... I wasn't-"

With a grin, Dinah leaned in and planted one on the very side of the girl's mouth just to shut her up. She 100% completely meant to do that. It wasn't like she was actually aiming for the girls cheek but Camila had turned her head ever so slightly, causing her to catch the corner of her mouth. It also wasn't like their lips lingered a helluva lot longer than the planned peck it was supposed to be. Hahaha nope. It wasn't like that at all.

When Dinah finally pulled back, her lips tingled from the almost non-contact and one glance at Camila, she knew she had felt the same thing. The Tongan ignored the very loud voice in her head that wished the girl had turned her head just a little bit more to the left and instead blurted the first (Non-Camila or Kiss related) thing that came to mind.

"POPCORN!"

Camila jumped back at the suddenly of it and Dinah ducked her head sheepishly "Sorry, I uhm- the popcorn just seems really uh... good right now. Really great."

The Cuban's mouth shaped an 'O' before she nodded in understanding "Right, right. I'll go do that, do the uhm... the popcorn thing. And I'll bring it back here. For us. To uhm eat. Together."

"Right, Walz. And then you can ask me your real question afterwards Kay?"

"Absolutely. Sounds like a plan." Camila affirmed before rolling off of her and unto the floor. Dinah expected her to continue on to the kitchenette but instead, the girl waited a beat before moving. Just as Dinah was about to ask what was wrong, Camila dipped her head down and kissed her on the side of her mouth, except this time was radically different then when the younger girl had did it. The Cuban's lips may or may have not brushed against Dinah's mouth before kissing the corner of it and sending the girl spiraling into a wave of feelings she wasn't prepared for.

Camila pulled back with an impossibly innocent and goofy grin before shouting "OKAY ONE BOWL OF POPCORN COMING RIGHT UP!"

Dinah watched red-faced and giggling like a teenager in love as the girl clumsily ran to the kitchenette, only managing to collide into two tables before she disappeared completely behind the doorway.


	2. Chapter 2

Ten minutes later, the hotel room reeked of cremated popcorn.

Literally, all that was left in the bag was buttered black dust.

Camila and Dinah had a brief funeral for the lost kernels before deciding that the air was contaminated and unlivable due to souls that were currently haunting Camila for their mass murder and evacuated the room.

"Okay but seriously I left you alone for five minutes. How'd you manage to turn popcorn into particles?" Dinah asked, trying to wave away the lingering smell of death as she stepped into the hallway.

Camila walked out behind her coughing and pulled the door closed. "Technically they were already particles. I just assisted in their separation." Dinah scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Now they can be their own person. Live there own lives. Settle down, have kids, fulfill the Popcorn-American dream. I'm a hero y'know." Camila grinned proudly when Dinah started laughing.

"It's too bad you killed them all though, Chanch. They had such a bright, buttery future ahead of them but you just had to add another zero on the timer. I hope you know you're responsible for a mass genesis."

Camila blinked and stared at Dinah for a moment. Genesis?

"You mean Genocide?" she asked, pressing her lips together to keep from laughing. Dinah narrowed her eyes and flushed.

"Oh, shut up." She huffed. Camila laughed, grabbed her hand and started leading her to the elevator.

"C'mon Bubba, let's go and bother Laurmani." Dinah brightened immediately at the ship name, even going as far as squealing.

"OMG what if we walk in on them?" Camila chuckled at the younger girls excitement as she pressed the button to call the elevator. She glanced up at Dinah, taking in the enthusiasm and utter thrill on her face.

"You ship them so hard, don't you?"

"That shouldn't even be a question like have you seen them together? They're all heart eye emoji's and kissy faces and their obvious love for each other gives me life man! Its like Camren 2.0!" Dinah gushed, bouncing the balls of her feet. Camila did a hybrid of a scoff and a laugh and pushed Dinah into the elevator. Once they were in, she slithered her arms around the girl's waist, hugging the side of her body and placing her head in the crook of her neck. Dinah reacted immediately by bringing an arm around her shoulder and pressing the button marked 18.

"What about Normally? Or Alren? I thought you liked them too." The Cuban continued the conversation with an amused smile, already knowing the answer.

"Of course I like them. In fact, I freaking love them. There are too many possible ships within the five of us, no wonder our fans are so emotional. I'd be too if I had to watch us all act like we're in a polygon- polyramo- polygaram- poly..." she paused and pursed her lips together in slight concentration, taking a breath before she started again. "When we act like we're in a polygamous relationship."

Camila grinned, proud that the girl had found the right word and rewarded her with an actual kiss on the cheek. With a grin of her own, Dinah blushed at the contact and stepped off the elevator, her arm still sling around Camila's shoulders.

They spent the rest of the walk to the pair's room in comfortable silence. They hadn't talked about the almost-kinda-maybe-barely their kiss they shared back in the contaminated room but both of them were currently fine with that. When they got to Lauren and Normani's room, Dinah took out a spare key card.

"Where the hell did you get that?"

The taller of the two just smirked and kissed the side of her face. "Don't worry your pretty lil' head about it."

"Awe, you think I'm pretty?" Camila smiled goofily at her and hugged the girl tighter.

"Of course I don't stupid." She paused for a second, smirking at her friends crest fallen expression. "I think you're beautiful." Dinah cooed, laughing at the girls grin as finally entered the key card into the door, opening it.

The moment Dinah laid eyes on their band mates she gasped excitedly, almost squealing before Camila clamped a hand over her mouth. Normani and Lauren were on the floor; the younger of the two sat perched on the older girls hips with one hand tangled in her hair and the other loosely wrapped around her neck. Normani's arms were snaked around her waist, settling on the exposed area where Lauren's shirt had ridden up. Their bodies were pressed impossibly close together, eyes closed or at least half-lidded, and noses just brushing against each other. The atmosphere in the room was heavy and electric, filled with an anxious yet magical aura that always seemed to accompany scenes similar to the one being witnessed. At first neither girl had even noticed the intrusion, both of them too intoxicated from the rush of being so close that it caused their senses to heighten but awareness to dull.

It wasn't until unfocused, green eyes flickered lazily over the pair did the panic kick in.

"Shit!" Lauren cursed and quickly shoved Normani away from her, causing the girl to hit the back of her head on the foot of the bed.

"Oww fuck!" Normani's hands flew to her head, gripping her skull to try to numb the throbbing pain. "Lauren what the hell?!"

The Cuban gasped and held the girls head as well, trying to check to make sure there wasn't any serious damage. "I'm sorry! Oh God I'm so so sorry! Are you okay? Holy shit mani, I didn't mean to do that!"

Normani answered with a whine and a guarded pout as she glanced up tearfully at the girl. "There were so many other ways you could've said-" she stopped and whimpered at the new wave pain she felt, the intensity of it interrupting her thought "Fucking hell, this hurts." Lauren whimpered at the sight of the girl and kept apologizing over and over again. "Next time just tell me you don't wanna kiss me, Jesus Christ." Normani mumbled irritably.

Lauren opened and closed her mouth a few times, wanting to tell her wrong but not being able to the right words to say. "N-no that's not-"

"I KNEW IT!" Dinah screamed, tearing Camila's hand away from her mouth and jumping up and down like a kid on their birthday. Normani jumped with a squeal and paled, horrified as she acknowledged the girls for the first time.

"There- there's nothing to know!" Lauren defended. "It was, it's not- this isn't what it looks like. Right Mani? Tell them that this isn't what it looks like."

"Yea, guys it's- this is a t-total misunderstanding." Normani added quickly, her pain seeming to have subsided and instead replaced with an anxious stutter. "We-we were... Uhm, Lauren and I were pl-playing video games on the- uhm screen. Well, I mean we weren't on sc-screen, obviously that's li-like impossible but uh anyways I was ma-making fun of her for being so bad- l-like she's-she's really awful at the controls and the- like how to maneuver and uh uhm Lauren was tickling me be-because of it and like, we just then kind of... end-ended up in that uh...position"

Normani seemed to shrink after every word she stumbled over, her voice growing smaller until that few words came out as nothing but a squeak. Lauren, still very much straddling the girl's hips, couldn't fight the fond smile that crept to her lips. I mean come on; there is absolutely nothing more adorable then a nervous stuttering Normani. Literally, nothing.

"Oh my God, Lo's totally in love with Mani's stutter."

And just like that, Lauren's face fell into utter mortification at Dinah's failed attempt at a whisper and Normani's face reddened because of obvious reasons. In a flash, Normani and Lauren had jumped away from each other, both showcasing many levels of embarrassment as they endlessly tried to justify themselves.

"That's not... that's not true!" was Lauren's opening statement

"We're not like a- a thing!" was Normani's supporting argument.

"That's totally something in the closet girlfriends would say." Was Dinah's rebuttal, which led the other two girls even more flustered and flabbergasted than before.

"Don't be ridiculous, Lauren's my- my best friend."

"Right, same. I - I can't- I couldn't ever, like, date Mani that would be... God that would be so weird..." Lauren scoffed and glanced nervously at her darker friend.

"Yea so... weird." It was faint but Normani winced as she said the word, not liking the way it was used for the situation.

"See? Normani's nothing more than a sister to me. I mean of course she's hot but we would never actually be together. Like never romantically or anything. That's disgusting, we're like sisters. Right mani?"

Normani was still for a moment, her lips slightly parted and staring at Lauren like she had just gotten the air knocked out of her. After a second she managed to swallow the lump in her throat before finally finding her voice again. "Right. Of course," she croaked out. Once hearing the pain in her own voice, Normani grimaced and shook her head, visibly shifting into a guarded and hostile stance. "You and I Lauren are just so not right for each other. Just like you said, I might be hot and you might be hot but for us to actually be in love with each other?" She scoffed and feigned a face of complete disgust. "That's just a freaking heartbreak waiting to happen." Normani mumbled the last words and crossed her arms, turning her face away from the rest of the girls.

Realization washed over Lauren at the older girls actions, but she was left speechless. She raised a hand to Normani but pulled it back, not even knowing what to say. After a few moments of shifting on her feet and trying to formulate the right words to say, Lauren had just given up, figuring that her theory wasn't even right in the first place before racing out of the room.

Normani picked her head back up at the sound of the door closing, her face crestfallen when she realized who had left. For a second, she allowed herself to hurt until her gaze landed on the other two girls in the room, who had been watching the whole ordeal silent and guiltily. With an annoyed grunt Normani turned around and plopped on top of the bed, grabbing a controller and continuing whatever game had been paused.

The room was silent as Normani focused all of her attention on the video game, her face twisting into a scowl as she mashed the buttons repeatedly. Dinah and Camila glanced at each other wearily and sat on either side of the girl, patiently waiting for her to say something.

"I'm fine." She said lowly, killing the swarm of zombies that had ambushed her on the screen. Dinah placed a comforting hand on the girls arm.

"I said that I'm fine." Normani grumbled, her thumbs flying over the controller as she executed various combos and murderous moves. Camila wrapped her arms around the girl's torso and put her head on her shoulder. "Go away." Her tone was softer this time, her angry façade dissolving. Neither girl moved and for a while they just sat in silence, watching the horde of the undead slowly overtake the character on the screen. Eventually Normani's fingers stilled and just let the girl die before sighing dropping her controller completely.

"We're sorry." Dinah apologized softly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her to her chest. "We didn't mean to mess things up."

"It's... I mean..." Normani sighed again, running her fingers through her hair. "There was nothing to mess up. You just made things really uncomfortable. That's... that's why she left."

"Girl." Dinah shook her head, and frowned slightly. "We all know that's like, half true. Yea, I made things uncomfortable but we also most definitely walked in on something."

"That was out of context. I told y'all already we were-"

"Playing video games and having tickle fights, yea, I'm calling bullshit." Normani frowned at her. " When Mila and I walked in, there was no laughing, no tickling, and you two left no room for Jesus if you know what I mean." Dinah winked but the girl's expression only darkened. "Oh come on Mani! You can't even deny the sexual tension between you two. You guys always look like you wanna eat each oth-"

"What the hell is wrong with you, Dinah?" Normani cut her off and stood up, breaking from the girls' hold on her. "Do you think that this is a game? That it's funny to make your 'best friends' uncomfortable because you like how they look together? God fucking dammit this is not some TV show, or movie this is our life. Got that?!" her voice kept rising as words flew out of her mouth, each one of them feeling like a blow to Dinah. "We are people, more than that, we're your friends. Lauren and I can't even hang out together anymore without you talking about how much you want us to fuck. How in God's name do you think that's okay?!"

Dinah had shrunk into a timid version of herself; her lips were pulled into pout at the realization of the hell she had put her friends through. "I- I didn't think-"

"EXACTLY!" she screamed, causing the girls to jump back. "You didn't fucking think and now you've ruined everything! Everyone knows how Lauren feels about being called a lesbian and she hates it when other people tell her what she is or isn't! Did you forget about Camren? Did you just forget about all the rants and twitlongers and nights she spent crying because she got death threats from our fans because she dated a guy? Her and Camila didn't even look at each other for like a few months! I can't lose Lauren like that! She's my fucking everything and losing her will break me don't you get that?! She fucking left without saying a damn word to me, Dinah. Not a damn word! Do you know how much that fucking hurts?" her voice waivered but the anger in her tone hadn't. For a moment she clutched her chest and bent over as if physically feeling the pain of her heart breaking. After a second her infuriation returned and she righted herself "I work so damn hard to make sure I don't fuck up and lose her. I work hard Dinah, because I don't want a girl like that to ever leave my side. It's hard enough knowing that she will never love me the way I love her but to have y- ou-" Normani stopped. She stopped pacing and yelling. She stopped scowling and seething. She stopped waving her arms around like a crazy person. She stopped breathing.

"Oh Mani..." Camila whispered sadly, lifting a hand towards her but the girl recoiled, shaking her head.

"N-no I didn't mean it like that. That- that came out wrong."

"You're crying." She noted softly, cautiously walking closer. Bewildered, Normani brought a hand to her face to find that the girl was right, she was crying, but she shook her head in denial still, refusing to admit her hardest truth.

"St-stop Camila I'm not- no, I-I'm not. I'm not in love with her, okay? I didn't mean to say that." Normani kept backing up, almost as If she were afraid of her. But every soul in the room knew it wasn't Camila she was afraid of, it was the truth. The truth that she had been ignoring, avoiding, and dodging every time it threatened to come up. The truth that she desperately wasn't ready to face yet. "That was a mistake it was- I was lying. I didn't mean to say that. You've got- gotta believe that I didn't mean it."

"I know you didn't mean to Mani. It's okay, I- we understand." Camila spoke softly as she motioned to herself and Dinah. "Just, calm down okay?"

"I don't, I- I'm not in lo-love with Lauren. I'm not." She stamped her foot down like a child in a tantrum, trembling from fear and emotions. "We've been be-best friends for so long. She- she trusts me. She tells m-me everything. I was- I was there to hold- hold her hand when- when she- the tattoo... I'm... I love her but I'm not... I- can't be... not like th-that" Normani shook as she sputtered her excuses; her tears flowing freely while fear took over her well-being. "I can- cant lo-love her like that sh- she'd ha-hate me. M-my family they'd- they won't acc-ept I d-don't. Don't te-tell her I d-do-don't wanna l-loose h-her-r." she was sobbing. Camila nodded towards Dinah, silently ordering her to grab her before things got out of control. The moment the taller girl flocked to her, Normani panicked and socked Dinah Square in the mouth.

It was a sickening sound of flesh hitting flesh and the force of the punch caused Dinah to stumble backwards, bringing down a table and its contents with her. Normani looked horrified at what she had done, "Di-Din-ah I'm- I d-d- did-didn't me- mean-" her eyes flickered from the girl groaning on the ground to Camila, who was frantically shoving the stuff from on top of her.

"I-I'm sorry." In a moment's decision, Normani fled the scene, not recognizing the people she had shoved out of the way as she disappeared behind the staircase doors.


	3. Chapter 3

"Wow, asshole." Lauren scoffed as she helped pick Ally off the floor. "You okay Al?"

"Yea, I just hope that person is okay. I think they were crying." The little woman glanced at the metal staircase doors as she brushed herself off, and then turned her attention back to Lauren. "I would go after them if we didn't have our own problems to deal with."

Lauren ducked her head sheepishly and stared at the ground. "Was what I said really that bad?"

"Yes." Ally frowned "especially since they weren't true. Lauren we talked about this. You love her. Like a lot. Like a helluva lot-"

"Yea right okay got it, I fucked up." She cut her off quickly, gripping the strap of the guitar that rested on her back. Ally smirked at her and rolled her eyes.

"Yea, lemme just say you suck at being Romeo."

"Ugh, I don't want to be Romeo, they die at the end. Surely you can do better than that."

Ally thought about it for a second.

"Hazel and Gus?"

"Painful. One of them died."

"Gatsby and Daisy?"

"Not a real love story"

"Cleopatra and Mark Antony?"

Lauren shot her a look. "Cleo committed suicide, why the hell are you choosing tragic love stories?"

Ally suppressed a smile and shrugged before continuing.

"Bonnie and Clyde?"

"Criminals"

"Adam and Eve?"

"Kinda betrayed God."

"Ellen and Portia?"

Lauren was about to protest until the names actually sunk in. She did a little squeal and nodded frantically. "God that's perfect. I call dibs on Ellen."

Ally shook her head as she finally stopped in front of the room door. "Nope, Mani's Ellen. You're Portia."

"What why? I can totally be Ellen."

"Eh, Mani's funnier." She smiled at the girls pout. "But at least your face is pretty."

Lauren took a moment to decide whether or not that should offend her. After a second, she settled on taking it as a compliment and was about to tell Ally her decision until the older woman had opened the door, revealing chaos.

"Oh my God what happened?" Lauren asked, immediately sprinting to Dinah's side and helping her sit up. Anger bubbled inside her when she saw the deep gash on the girls swelling lip. "Who the fuck hurt you?"

"Lo it's- it's my fault. I'm sorry." Her eyes widened when Dinah's voice waivered. "I'm sorry for- all those times. Don't hate Mani, I'm sorry I didn't know." Tears came down her face before the girl could stop them, overcome with remorse and guilt. Lauren furrowed her brow and looked at Camila, hoping she would explain what was happening, but the Cuban was too focused on consoling her to notice.

"Camila? Dinah? Where's Mani?" All three of them snapped to Ally's voice, the usual sweet tone switching into an authorities one as she asked the most important question.

Camila glanced at Dinah and swallowed. "Normani was upset... When Lauren left." She started slowly, trying to choose her words carefully.

" I said some stupid things. I provoked her but I didn't mean to." Dinah added, shakily. "She started yelling at me, like she was just saying everything that's been on her mind for awhile and then... she... she stopped."

"What do you mean she stopped? What happened?" Ally asked again.

They glanced at each other again and Dinah shook her head. "I can't tell her, I've done enough already Mila... she was right." Dinah lifted herself off the ground and stalked into the bathroom, wanting no part in the information that had to be retold.

Ally followed Dinah to help with her wound, leaving Lauren and Camila by themselves to talk.

The Cuban sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "Look, Lauren. Normani was ranting about how she wanted Dinah to stop shipping you two. She was mad lo. Like really mad about it."

Lauren swallowed and nodded her head, urging her to continue despite the pain she felt in her chest.

"But she was mad because she was scared. Scared that she would lose you like... well, kind of like how Camren went down."

"Oh." That made sense to her. Lauren had acted badly when Camren got out of control and admittedly cut Camila off for a while, despite how much she loved her best friend. She could see why Normani was scared of the same thing happening. But that didn't explain the bruise, or the fact that she MIA.

"She called you her everything lo."

What?

"She said that if you left her like that it would break her."

Huh?

"Lauren... Mani loves you. Like in love with you."

?!?!?!

"She didn't mean to say that but when she did, she started freaking out. Like really bad. Mani kept trying to deny what she said. She was sobbing, hyperventilating and kept blubbering out words I hardly understood." Lauren felt like she just dove underwater, too many things rushing towards for her to take in what Camila was even saying. Normani's in love with me? She was hurting? She punched Dinah in the face? Her mind swam with all this information Camila was giving her, the stream never seemed to stop. She didn't snap out of it until Camila reached the end of the story, that part being the most important. "And lo... I think- I think she was having a panic attack."

The second those words registered Lauren was gone, darting out the room, sprinting down the hall and only stopping when she got to the staircase.

Damnit I wish Ally had chased that stranger. She thought, torn between the upstairs and the down. She couldn't believe that Asshole was her, it was Normani, distressed and in the middle of a panic attack all because of... because of her. Then Lauren cringed because she knew exactly where Normani went. Without another thought she bolted upstairs, taking the steps two at a time and ignoring the chaff of her guitar repeatedly bouncing against her back. Lauren didn't stop running until she threw open the rooftop door, scanning the area until her eyes landed on a crumpled heap of a familiar girl.

"Mani!" she fled to her, sighing in relief when she could still hear the girl sobbing. Lauren dropped next to her and pulled the girl into her chest, wrapping her arms around her body. "Shh shh it's okay baby. It's okay."

Normani might as well have not heard her at all. Her body trembled violently in Lauren's arms and her cries were borderline screaming. Lauren didn't know what to do.

"I d-don't know wha-what's- I'm- I c-cant bre-breathe" Normani took hard; sharp gasps between each butchered word, as she clung onto the girls shirt. Her eyes were unfocused and terrified and it was clear that the girl didn't have a clue what was going on. She gripped onto Laurens shirt as if it were her only hold onto reality and granted, it probably was.

Lauren had never felt more useless than she did now. Normani needed help, or an adult, or an ambulance, or just... somebody. But Lauren left her phone downstairs, and the girls had no idea they were up here. Normani was too hysterical to carry down 21 flights of stairs and the only thing Lauren had was her fucking guitar.

"I'm so sorry, Mani." Lauren whimpered defeated, tightening her grip on the girl and speaking against her hair. "I'm so sorry, this is all my fault. I should have... I should have told you how I felt before. I should have told you the truth from the beginning." Lauren glanced out to the distant city skyline, tears threatening to spill over as she sorrowfully confessed her true feelings. "we wouldn't be here if I... if I had just been honest. With you... with myself... with... God just with everything." She scoffed lightly and shook her head, completely disappointed in herself. "Camila told me y'know? About me being your everything. I wish I could say the same thing but... I can't. For some reason, Normani, you managed to be my more than everything. I don't know how to explain it but... it's like this. I've been in love before. I know what it feels like, I'm no stranger to it you know? So, imagine my surprise when I started getting those stupid butterflies around you." She shook her head with a faint smile as she got lost in her confession; it feeling more like she was speaking to the city lights then she was to the girl still trembling in her arms.

"I thought they would go away you know? Thought that it was just a friendly crush but then I started falling. Hell, Mani I'm still falling for you. I was so terrified when I first realized this. Ally found me on the verge of a breakdown and I came clean to her. I told her that I had feelings for you and the first thing she told me to do was to tell you..." Her smile faded as she thought about the conversation. "That was a fucking year ago." Lauren whispered, hating the guilt in her voice. She pursed her lips and swallowed letting the soft distant sounds of the city fill the silence on the rooftop. "I love you mani. Like madly, crazy, undeniably in love with you. You make me... you make me feel alive. Like everything about you is just so- God there aren't enough words to even explain it. Hell, I even wrote a song about you but even then I find myself coming up short with the lyrics." She admitted with a light chuckle.

"You're my more than everything, Mani," she whispered tenderly, sighing as she leaned into the brick wall. "And I love you. I love you as so much more than a friend, and nowhere near as a sister. You have become so big and important to my life that I- sometimes I'm at a loss for words. You're this... thing. This amazing, impossible, unreachable beautiful thing and... and I'm in love with you." The last five words seemed to echo into the night, the weight of them heavy and causing the atmosphere to change.

And then Lauren tensed.

She realized that the rooftop was relatively silent and Normani was relatively still. The girl still sat in her lap, her breathing only slightly ragged and sniffling periodically. Lauren's heart beat harshly against her chest, anxiety filling her nerves as the weight of her confession settled. Her face reddened in embarrassment when the silence prolonged, a part of her fearing that her honesty was a mistake. But then she gasped a bit when fingers glided over her own, timidly stroking her knuckles and successfully releasing a swarm of butterflies in the pit of her stomach.

"Can I hear it?" Normani's voice was so small and fragile that Lauren had almost mistaken it for the wind. "The song? Can I hear it?" she repeated it a little bit louder but Lauren still had to strain to catch the girl's words, her voice was cracked and hoarse from her previous hysteria.

"I- uhm..." The younger girl blinked a few times, surprised at the request "Yea. Yea, okay. It's not... its not finished though. Or that good and its' uhm very embarrassing actually -" she stopped when she felt Normani's fingers intertwine with her own and suddenly, Lauren couldn't think. All it took was one simple touch; one dumb move to lock their hands together and the Miami native seemed to fall inexplicably harder for her.

Lauren's raspy voice filled the quiet of the night as she sung the words of her love song.

You've got this look I can't describe

You make me feel like I'm alive,

When everything else is au fait,

Without a doubt you're on my side,

Heaven has been away too long

Can't find the words to write this song,

Ooooohhhh

Your, love

Lauren barley finished the last note before she felt a pair of lips on her own. Normani was holding on to her by the collar of her shirt, tilting her head down at an awkward angle. The girl's lips were wet and salty and at that specific moment, the night had brought a gust of wind that cut through their clothing. But both of them be damned if that wasn't the best kiss they've ever had.

Their lips moved in sync with each other, slow and passionately as the girls simply cherished the intimate moment. It took awhile for them to pull away from each other, and when they did both girls were breathless.

"I'm in love with you." Normani spoke just above a whisper "I know you know already but... I'm really in love with you." Lauren stared at her for a minute, stunned. "Lo?"

"Uh... yea uhm sorry..." she shook her head, snapping out of her haze then gave her a shy smile. "It's just... hearing that, like from you is... it's..."

"Weird?" Normani offered nervously.

Lauren smiled softly and shook her head. "Surreal."

The grin that blossomed on the darker girls face was the most beautiful sight Lauren has ever seen. A part of her wanted to stare and just admire the beauty of her friend while the other half just wanted to kiss her again.

She went with the latter.


	4. Chapter 4

Somewhere along the way, their passionate heartfelt kissing turned into nothing but clumsy bumping of lips and light laughter into each other's mouths. They shared soft giggles as they competitively stole kisses from one another, whether it be from the mouth, cheek, or even the back of a hand, they always seemed to find their lips planted somewhere on each others body.

They existed in relative silence, other than the evidence of their content and joy; the only other sounds came from hidden night creatures and the distant hum of an urban city.

The words between them might have been non-existent, but they held endless conversations through mediums most preferred.

Normani spoke through her shy smiles and affectionate gaze. Her face expressing every level of love and admiration she wouldn't have known how to verbalize and Lauren spoke just as clearly through her tender touches. With every caress against the darker girls skin, she pledged a promise of care and protection; her fingers whispering its commitment of love.

The moment Normani opened her mouth to break the silence; something gleamed in the sky, stealing her words and attention.

When her gaze first touched the starry night, she noticed quickly that the night hadn't stirred. The stars twinkled the same way they always have, the moon still shown only a sliver of itself, and the sky was still; vacant of any plane or lights that would've disturbed it. What had she seen?

And then it happened. A white streak flashed a crossed heaven; its head tainted a soft blue and tail striped in a blended white and yellow. Normani watched as its colors changed briefly into a dazzling mix of yellow and maybe pink right before it faded out of existence.

"A shooting star!" Lauren gasped in awe "Mani, make a wish!"

Normani broke her gaze from the sky and focused instead on the other girl, smiling at the sight. Lauren's eyes were screwed shut and nose scrunched in concentration. She chewed on her lower lip, obviously thinking hard about what to wish for. Finally, a smile graced the girls face once her decision had been made and she opened her eyes.

Normani cocked her head to the side, grinning at her fondly. "What'd you wish for?" she whispered, her voice still strained.

"I can't tell you that, love bug. You know the rules" Lauren tapped her on the nose cutely, smiling at the girl's soft chuckle. "Did you make a wish?" Normani shook her head honestly; amused at the bewildered look Lauren gave her. "What? Why not?"

Normani opened her mouth but closed it again, trying to think of a way to explain it. "I look at the stars a lot." She started out softly, "I always have, and you know that." Lauren nodded her head in agreement. It was true, even since X-factor Normani would always request to go outside at night and spend most of her time gazing at the sky. Though it was questionable at first, it was a habit everyone had accepted and gotten used to. Being under the stars was Normani's safe place; it made her feel closer to home. No one since has ever questioned it when they found the girl staring out the bus window, or making her way to the rooftop of a hotel. Normani needed the stars in her eyes, and everyone be damned if they tried to stop her. Lauren thought that was probably one of her favorite things about the girl; the way she loved night.

"Ever since I was a child, I've studied the sky lo. I've seen many shooting stars, and I've made many wishes but only a certain number would come true." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before finding Lauren's hand and intertwining their own. "My grandmother scolded me when I complained about the stars not working and she told me it was because my wishes were fairytales. The magic of the stars are great, but they don't grant selfish and frivolous requests." She quoted wisely. Lauren stared at her, completely enamored by the story and amazed at the way she spoke. Normani was usually shy and reserved, her words sometimes stuttered and stumbled, even when it was just the two of them. But now it was like pure poetry to come out of her mouth, and Lauren had found another thing to love.

"She told me that I need to save my shooting stars for something real. She said to not wish for tall tales or impossible dreams but to pocket them for my greatest desires. And I have. Since that conversation, I've saved every single falling star, every single wish and waited until something came along that I knew I wanted."

Normani smirked just a bit when Lauren's eyebrows furrowed in thought, knowing that she had caught on to the slight hint.

"You said that in a past tense," she pointed out, quietly. Tilting her head just the slightest. Normani bit back a proud smile and nodded, absentmindedly playing with the girls fingers.

"I had seven stars in my pocket before I met you." Silvery green eyes widened and a gasp escaped her lips, the reality of what Normani was saying hitting her harder than she could ever imagine. "I've wished for you 13 times in 13 different ways for the last three years." Normani paused and suddenly groaned into the palm of her hands. "God that sounded so creepy, I'm sorry"

Lauren took the girls hands away and tilted her head up, forcing her to look at her. Normani could see the shine in her eyes and the struggle Lauren faced as she tried to formulate a sentence. "Mani I-" her voice broke. Overcome with emotion she took a deep breath and tried to clear the buzzing inside her head before trying to speak again "You're not a creep." The older girl let out a shaky laugh and Lauren smiled. "I'm- I... I can't believe you wasted your stars on me."

"Lauren, I didn't waste anything." Normani furrowed her brow as she touched the girls cheek, "If it meant being where we are now, then I would've done anything. Well, anything except the obvious apparently."

Lauren chuckled and leaned in to the girls touch. "We are kinda stupid aren't we?"

"The stupidest beings on earth."

The younger girl bit back her smile and leaned in a bit "Two stupid beings in stupid love"

Normani leaned in too, not even hiding the grin on her face "Two stupid beings completely stupefied by love"

Lauren chuckled, amused at the choice of words "Stupefied, nice."

"Shut up nerd." Normani laughed lightly before closing the distance between them, taking the initiative to shut the girl up herself.

Lauren smiled into the kiss as she pulled the girl impossibly closer "I love you too." She mumbled softly.


	5. Chapter 5

"So is there a reason why there's a guitar on your back or is that just for aesthetic?"

Lauren chuckled as the tips of her ears burned red, almost forgetting about the guitar "Uhm yea, sure. It's a fashion statement, let's go with that."

Normani gave her a curious smile as she flickered her gaze to the protruding instrument, deciding not to question the strange response. "I've always admired how well you play." She mused, leaning past the girl to stroke the wooden neck of the instrument. "It's like it comes easy for you, like you're in your element or something. It's beautiful."

It was almost annoying at how hard Lauren's stomach was fluttering at the tenderness of the way Mani spoke. She was a slave to this girl, and frankly, Lauren was terrified about what would happen when Normani realized it.

"Do you want me to play you something?"

The illuminating grin on her face was answer enough. Normani scooted out of the girls lap and settled next to her as Lauren slung guitar around. Once she tuned it and positioned it comfortably, she turned to the girl with a small smile.

"And what, pray tell, shall I play for you my dear?" Normani scrunched her nose and giggled at the girl's British accent before matching it with her own.

"Oh, let your fingers dance on the strings, love. They'll find the music."

Okay, now that just wasn't fair at all. Lauren's face dropped as she stared at the girl. "Y'know, you're really hot when you become surprisingly poetic."

Normani chuckled and tucked a piece of hair behind the girl's ear "Why is me being poetic such a surprise?" she challenged playfully.

"Gee, I dunno." Lauren drawled, causing the girl to roll her eyes "Maybe because you're a big nerd who plays Skyrim and World of Warcraft?"

"Those are highly respected RPG's!" Normani mocked offence and shoved the girl with laugh, tipping her over. Lauren laughed too as she fell, it was only when she used her hand to steady herself did she emit a small squeal.

"Ew oh my God. " she jerked her hand back from its position on the roof, bringing it into view. Both girls grimaced at the black goo on Lauren's fingers. "What the hell did I just touch?"

"It's probably oil." Normani noticed, "That most likely came from there" She pointed towards the pipes that ran near the rooftop entrance, a few of them dripping and stained from oil and rust.

"There's no way that's safe." She mumbled irritably, realizing that she somehow managed to get the stuff on both of her hands. "Or sanitary" With a huff she wiped the excess of the liquid on her jeans, while making a mental note to have a "talk" with the hotel manager.

"You're not talking to the Hotel Manager, lo." Normani smirked at Lauren's immediate pout.

"But my jeans are ruined now. Someone has to pay for that."

"Then I'll pay for it you big baby." She teased, rolling her eyes. "It's not that big a deal."

The Cuban sighed but shrugged in agreement "Yea, I guess you're right. We're not supposed to be up here anyways. So, it'd be kinda hard to explain how we know that the pipes up here are outdated and dangerous without also saying that we went into a restricted area."

"We're in a restricted area?"

Lauren snorted at first, thinking that the girl was playing. But when Normani hadn't broke into her famous grin or playful laugh, she finally registered that the girl really hadn't seen the big, red reflecting sign on the other side of the door that had clearly said "No Admittance/ Restricted Area/ Authorized Personnel only" (in retrospect, it made sense because, well, she was in the middle of a panic attack but still)

"Uhhh..." Lauren's eyes flickered across her face in confliction, knowing how morally righteous the girl was but also not wanting/having the ability to leave the rooftop. "No?"

Normani squinted her eyes with a frown, obviously not convinced by that answer and opened her mouth to protest. In a moment's panic, Lauren just leaned in and kissed her into silence.

Needless to say, it worked.

Like, really well.

If the goofy smile was anything to go by, Normani seemed to have completely forgotten about anything remotely pertaining to anything for a good five seconds before finally mumbling, "You have really nice lips."

Lauren snorted and grinned as she kissed her again, knowing for a fact she was in the clear. With their lips still locked together, the palest girl gently strummed a chord on her guitar. Normani smiled into the kiss when she strummed another one and another one, knowing that she was trying to show off. When the oldest member tried to pull back, Lauren only followed her lips, deepening the kiss. It didn't take long for the older girl to crack, tugging the girl closer and holding the side of her face. Normani was losing herself to the girl and the music she was playing. Slowly, Lauren pulled away with her fingers still strumming out a tune so gentle and lovely, that Normani could feel her heart ache with the beat.

"You've got this look I can't describe.

You make me feel like I'm alive"

Lauren repeated the words of her song tenderly, never breaking eye contact.

"When everything else is au fait,

Without a doubt you're on my side."

The pit of the Texan's stomach fluttered and her heart swelled in her chest.

"Heaven has been away too long

Can't find the words to write this song

Oh...

Your love"

Normani captured the girl's lips once more in a chaste but passionate kiss.

"I always knew you were a sappy romantic." She teased softly, running her thumb over the girl's cheek.

"You say sappy, I say charming." Lauren chuckled but leaned into the tender touch, her face tinted in a red blush.

Normani bit back a smile before pecking her on the nose. "Then I guess I'm charming too." She mumbled with a grin "I have some lyrics of my own."

The stars paled in comparison to the excitement that twinkled in glassy-green eyes, Lauren's obvious thrill at the information illuminating the night in ways the moon never could.

"About me? Lyrics about me?" She asked both bashfully and excitedly, almost squirming in eagerness.

Normani laughed and nodded at the girl's cute display and even cuter high-pitched voice.

"Can I hear it? Please? I love your voice, it's like my favorite thing." Lauren pleaded, scooting impossibly closer.

"I don't think I can, lo." Her voice was just above a whisper and tone apologetic "My voice is still shot."

Normani didn't miss the way the girls lips dropped into a pout or how her eyes suddenly seemed to have watered within the past mini-second, or the tiny whimper that came from the back of her throat. Turns out, Lauren had the most powerful puppy dog pout in existence.

"But I guess it won't hurt to try." She croaked out sheepishly. The little squeal and multiple kisses that accompanied that answer made Normani wonder why the hell would she would ever say no to this girl. With a shy bite of her lip, Normani tugged on the strap of the guitar, earning her a curios look. "I-I need your guitar." She explained timidly, almost blushing.

Lauren kinked an eyebrow but didn't argue as she lifted the instrument over her head and handed it to Normani. The darker girl held the guitar awkwardly at first, furrowing her brow in concentration as she tried to properly position her fingers over the strings. After a few seconds of fiddling and readjusting, Normani exhaled and swallowed, then glanced sheepishly at her audience of one.

"I'm uhm- I'm kinda new at like... playing. But uh, I've been pr-practicing lately. For this song, I mean. I was hoping by the time I'd ever get the courage to uhm confess, I guess, that I'd have it down-pact. Or at least y'know, finished." Lauren giggled and simply kissed her on the cheek, mumbling a soft "you're cute."

Normani relaxed a little bit, and strummed her fingers against the strings. Once satisfied with the way it sounded, she gently played a tune of her own.

"Just like a star across my sky

Just like an angel off the page,"

Brown eyes glanced into greens and she nearly faltered. The look Lauren was giving her was the same one she's only ever dreamed about. It was one of completely captivated love but at the same time it was all too familiar.

"You have appeared to my life

Feel like I'll never be the same"

Lauren had been looking at her like that since she could remember, but it wasn't until now did she realize what it meant. All this time, all these years, Lauren had loved her. Not Camila, not Luis, not even that asshole Bradley; it's always been her.

"Just like a song in my heart"

Normani had ran out of pre-written lyrics about three lines ago but her mind was buzzing, still swimming with only thoughts of Lauren. So, she kept singing from her heart.

"Just like the oil on your hands

I'll honor to love you."

There was a tearful smile on Laurens face once she realized that the girl was ad-libbing and she couldn't help but tear up at the flawless beauty of it.

"Now I have come to understand,

The way it is,

It's not a secret anymore

'Cause we've been through that before"

Normani smiled at the younger one's giggle and watched as she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. The darker girl kept strumming even though she had officially ran out of words, but after a tender touch on her face and brilliant grin, Lauren had continued their makeshift love song.

"From tonight I know that you're the only one

I've been confused and in the dark

Now I understand,"

Emerald orbs flickered up to the sky before landing back to earth- toned irises. Normani had told her that she had wished for her 13 times. That meant that she had seen at least 13 beautiful breath-taking shooting stars and thought of her each time. Lauren's only seen a shooting star once in her life, and that was exactly 30 minutes ago. Normani was her wish; she was her star. In what way she wished for her, well, that part she couldn't quite admit yet. But the bottom line is that Normani, the beautiful, unreachable thing she's always desired, was here. There was virtually nothing else that she could wish for or want because she had it now. Her wish had come true. Normani was hers.

"Just like a star across my sky,

Just like an angel off the page,

You have appeared to my life,"

Something was changing in the air. They could both feel it, but neither knew what it was. For some reason, sharing this song, reciting these lyrics felt more intimate and incredible than blatantly making out. Normani finally realized what it was. Everything around them will change, their relationships, their career, their future...everything. What they were feeling now was just the beginning of it.

"Feel like I'll never be the same

Just like a song in my heart,"

Lauren didn't miss the flicker of fear and worry in the girl's eyes. They had both come to the same conclusion that yea, things were changing and they were going to change for better or for worse. Lauren's vision only seemed to see the better outcome; one of love, marriage, acceptance, and family. She saw hope in their future but she knew Normani was thinking the opposite. It was the unsure frown on the girls face that spoke of the worst-case scenario's, which flooded her mind, her hands even beginning to tremble at the overwhelming outcomes. Pale, oil-stained hands stilled shaky browns, stopping the repetitive chord and forcing Normani to look at her. There was sadness and insecurity swimming in the dark eyes and again Lauren felt helpless; she didn't know how to help her. How was she supposed to tell her that she wouldn't leave? How could she let the girl know that there was not a chance of them not being together? Lauren had every intention on staying, through thick and thin, good and bad, she was stubborn a lot like...

"Just like oil on our hands."

"I'll Hon-or to love you." Lauren didn't sing that part; she whispered it. The sincerity in her voice was enough for Normani to almost fall into her arms, mumbling her apologies.

"I'm sorry Lo, I just- I don't mean to doubt you, I... it's-"

"Hey," the green-eyed girl cut her off, and placed a finger under her chin. "It's okay. Just know I'm not going to stop loving you, alright?"

There was flicker of doubt in those dark eyes before they closed all together. Slowly, Normani took a deep breath and nodded, physically trying her best to believe it. It was small, but Lauren accepted it, even placing a small kiss on the girl's head in acceptance. When the dancer opened her eyes, they were content yet tired.

"You must be exhausted." She realized. Normani had just been in a panic attack only a few... how long have they been up here? Minutes? Hours? Days?

"No, I'm fine." Even as she said it, Lauren could hear the slight hilt in her voice, which usually meant she was lying or sleepy. In this case, she was both.

"Liar."

Normani snorted but snuggled further into her arms. "I assure you that I'm not tired."

The pale girl scoffed as she rested her chin on top of her head and tightened her grip around her waist. "Yes you are."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am-" Normani cut herself off with a yawn, and then sighed in defeat as she finally relaxed into the girls hold. "Fine. You win."

Lauren giggled as she buried her nose in her hair, causing the girl to giggle as well before they both sort of sat there in comfortable silence.

After a few minutes, Normani's breathing had evened out and Lauren had figured she went to sleep. The younger girl, still a bit restless, began to recall what the hell had just happened. Everything from Normani spending most of the day trying to teach her how to play some zombie game, to the tickle fight that turned into an almost kiss, to now holding the girl she's loved for years and knowing that she had loved her too.

A light chuckle escaped her lips when she realized something. "Damn. Dinah was right all along."

She was only slightly startled when she heard a light laugh come from the girl in her arms, having been convinced that she was gone to the world. "Yeah, go figu-" suddenly Normani gasped and sat straight up, her eyes wide with shock. "OH MY GOD I HIT DINAH IN THE FACE" she shrieked, desperately scrambling out of Lauren's hold.

"Wait Mani, just sl-slow down for a- don't stand up too fast you're gonna-" but she didn't listen. The moment Normani got to her feet the world went dark. "Mani!" The pale girl lurched foreword, barely able to catch her before she collapsed completely. "Shit Mani! Are you okay? What happened?" Normani gripped the girl's shirt, taking hard shaky breaths. "Hey. Hey, baby can you hear me?"

"Yeah," she croaked out. Her eyes were closed as she tried to calm herself down "I'm just... spinning."

Lauren sighed in relief "God you gotta stop doing that." She mumbled.

Normani cracked an eye open and gave her a sheepish smile. "Sorry. I guess I'm more exhausted than I thought."

Lauren gave her a worried look. She could tell by the tremble in her shoulders that she was struggling to just hold herself up. Slowly, she sunk to her knees, setting them back to the floor.

"Wai-wait no Lauren I've gotta..." Normani started to protest but felt a wave of fatigue. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to fight it off but it wasn't working "I've gotta make sure Dinah is- is... that she's-"

"Hey," Lauren cut her off gently, pushing a few strands of hair out of her face. "Dinah's a big girl, she knows you didn't mean it."

"But I... I was so mean and... I- I hurt her." The girl's speech was gradually slowing as fatigue finally settled in. Her body was becoming limp and she had no energy to fight anymore "She's my best friend..."

"I hope her and I aren't on the same level of friendship for you. It might not seem like it, but I'm the crazy jealous type."

The last thing she heard was Normani doing a hybrid of a scoff and a laugh followed by a soft-spoken "you dummy." Before the girl had finally passed out.

Lauren stayed there in that position for a minute, biting her lip and clutching on to her unconscious band-mate. After awhile, the girl sighed and tilted her head back to look at the stars.

"You know, this would be a great time for one of you stars to start shooting." She mumbled, almost glaring at the twinkling lights. "I've got an irrational fear of heights I'd love to wish away."


	6. Chapter 6

Dinah has been quiet for about an hour now. She sat in a corner with her knees tucked to her chest and half her face buried in her arms. She stopped crying a little while ago but there was this blank, hollow look in her eyes that made Camila feel like throwing up.

Camila sighed as she dropped her gaze to her phone, staring at the alternating names displayed on her recent calls list and causing the knot in the pit of her stomach to only grow tighter.

Everything right now was just so wrong. Normani,the strong-willed and kindhearted member of the group, had sucker punched Dinah in the face while under a panic attack. Camila didn't even know that Normani had panic attacks and she doubted anyone else had known that either. What's worse though, is that they don't even know where the girl is or if she ever came down from it.

Lauren was missing too. She was the smart one out of the four of them and had gone to look for their distressed band mate the second she heard about the possibility of her undergoing an attack. That was two hours ago. They haven't heard from either one of them since.

Ally took on the job informing Mama Drea and management of what was going on. Of course, she didn't quite go into the details of things (partly because Ally still didn't even know all the details herself) but now the story was getting repetitive and tiring. At least, that's how Camila felt.

The dark-haired girl didn't think anything of it when the eldest kept relaying the message, herself being too preoccupied in trying to get in touch with one of the other girls to notice. It wasn't until she had glanced over to find red-brimmed eyes staring at Ally like a child being chastised by their mother, did she understand. Her slouched and timid form kept wringing the bottom of her own shirt (a nervous habit she picked up from Camila no doubt) as she listened to the story for what had to be the fifth time.

"...No, listen. They were just talking when Dinah had accidentally said something triggering and- No, that not when she punched her. Mani was already panicking at that point. she hit her when Dinah tried to calm her down but... Well, that's the problem, we don't know where Mani is. After she hit D, she bolted and- What? It's not important what Dinah said I'm calling you because... Hey! She didn't run away because of Dinah, she ran because- Puta Madre cut me off again and I swear to God I'll-"

"Ally, do you think you can finish that outside?" Camila asked softly. Ally turned around, obviously getting pissed at however was on the other line, and nearly snapping at the girl before stopping herself. The woman caught Dinah's look and she choked on her words, immediately cursing herself for not being more careful. The crackled voice on the other line could be heard through the phone as Ally lowered it, her gaze and demeanor softening once the youngest member's look became too much.

"Call me if you need me okay?" She whispered instead. Camila nodded slightly and waited until she heard the click of the door closing before sitting on her knees in front of her best friend.

"Dinah-"

"It's my fault." The Tongan's voice came out cracked and vulnerable, fitting her current state to a perfect tee.

The knot in Camila's stomach to climbed to her throat. "D. No it's no-"

"Yes it is, Camila. It's my fault that Lauren left the first time. It's my fault that Mani got mad and shaky. It's my fault that Ally's all worried and stressed and I probably just ruined the whole band. Why am I so-" her words seemed to choke up in her throat and she turned her head away from the girl. Camila's never seen her look so broken or messed up about something before and she didn't know how to make it better.

Despite popular opinion, Dinah was so innocent and pure-hearted about things. When she felt something, she felt all of it at levels that Camila can't even imagine; levels that Dinah herself had a hard time explaining. The Tongan was usually a master at hiding her emotions; always opting to play the carefree, mischievous kid who doesn't care much about anything but Camila was the first person to see her past the camouflage.

She saw it in the ways Dinah would talk so passionately about her family, culture, or even her hobbies. Camila had always felt the amplified spark that seemed embedded in her soul, even over things that seemed perfectly mundane. Sometimes it would show as the nostalgic love in Dinah's eyes when she talked about her little brothers and sisters. Other times it took form of the pure passion she expressed whenever spoke in her rare native tongue. Mostly, it carried in every variation of her laughter and even more so in her perfect dimply-wide grin.

But it showed in her sadness, too.

A frown on Dinah's face always looked like more than a frown. It always felt like more than a frown. Seeing her sad was troubling. Seeing her cry was upsetting.

Seeing her sob? That was just devastating.

The first time Dinah broke down in front of her was when she was recalling the blank look Seth had in his eyes. She was missing out on her siblings' lives and that really messed Dinah up. But this? This was even worse.

"I've ruined everything, Camila." She managed to croak out again, "Our career, the band, my relationship with Mani, Lauren and probably Ally too," Her eyebrows furrowed for a moment and she looked down as if she had just realized something even more heartbreaking "And I've ruined my chance..." the last few words were lost, Dinah having said them so low.

But for some reason Camila felt like she heard her say "to be with you."

And Camila really wished her mind didn't fill in that blank because now her heart was doing this weird thing where it clutched in pain, but hammered in her chest all the same.

It also made her angry.

"I'm just an annoying, immature brat. I'm selfish and loud and so damn full of myself, Mila. Which by itself is a fucking joke, I mean look at me. I'm fat and got the face structure of a man!"

"Stop." Camila said it weakly as her hands closed into fists.

Dinah didn't hear her.

"My hands are bigger than every boy I've dated and I've got the common sense of- of a damn rock. Do you know what my GPA was before X-Factor? It was a 1.5. If I didn't make it, I would've been a drop-out or pregnant or- or I don't know in gang or something because that's the type of stupid decision I would've made!"

Camila closed her eyes and clenched her jaw, trying to steady her breathing "D, stop it."

Still, Dinah didn't hear.

"Do you know how many times Mani told me to stop talking about her and Lauren like that? Too fucking many. What type of person am I? What type of friend purposefully talks about something that they know their best friend is sensitive about?" she scoffed at herself bitterly before running her fingers through her hair. She didn't see the tremble in the other girl's shoulders. She didn't see the angry tears on her face. "I'm a damn screw up, Mila. I'm toxic and reckless and everyone would just be better off I didn't exist-"

"SHUTUP!"

Dinah jumped at the unexpected bark, cutting off her tangent and finally giving the girl her attention. Her face fell in fear and concern when she saw the look of pure unadulterated anger in the dark, watery eyes.

"Mila?"

"Don't you dare fucking call me that!" Camila cried, her voice cracking in anger "Only my best friend calls that and you're not her!"

Dinah's whole world shattered at those words. The pain she felt right now was one level past unbearable.

"Ca-Camila, don't-"

"Because my best friend knows how I feel when she insults something I love." Camila held her same murderous gaze as she moved closer to the girl. "She fucking knows that I take it personally. She knows that I find it unforgivable when someone talks shit like that about ANYBODY." Suddenly Camila sprang foreword, slamming Dinah against a wall and holding her by the collar of her shirt. "Especially you!"

Dinah sat there completely dumbfounded and immobilized. She's never been in this position before; overpowered and vulnerable against a girl half her size. Despite how long she's known Camila, she's never seen her like this. This passionate, serious, strong side of was a stark contrast of what she had always known her to be and... and wow.

"Goddammit Dinah! Have you heard a word I've said in the last few years? Don't you fucking get it yet?!" The Tongan opened her mouth but couldn't speak. She couldn't breath. The only thing she knew how to do was listen, for what felt like the first time, to Camila. The Cuban clenched her teeth at the silence, annoyed beyond belief. Her scowl twitched and fingers turned white against the collar of the plaid shirt.

Finally, Camila pushed her harder against the wall, screaming out her most common phrase in a way that could never be forgotten.

"I Love You!"

Dinah has heard her say those words no less than five times a day. Maybe it was the delivery, or the passion in which she said it. Maybe it was the situation or their position. Maybe it was the raging emotions or the choking tension between them, but whatever the reason it was still led to the same conclusion.

Dinah heard it differently.

"I love you, you fucking immature brat! You loud, selfish twat! Dinah Jane you are the bane of my existence but I couldn't fucking live without you. You're annoying and rude and you really do have the common sense of a rock but I would live through hell 5,000 times if it meant I could have one day with you! I would eat ten pounds of crawfish, despite my fucking allergy if that's what it took just to be in your presence for a minute! I would sell my soul to devil just to hear your voice, dammit! You are everything to me, don't you get that? If I had to live in a world where you didn't exist then I wouldn't bother trying to live, Dinah. Do you understand what I'm saying to you?! Do you fucking understand me?!"

The crazy thing is, she did understand. She understood completely. But for the life of her, Dinah didn't how to react. Camila's gaze softened only slightly at the Tongan's wide eyes. With a sigh she loosened the grip on her collar and closed her eyes for a moment. She could still feel the stunned stare of the girl underneath her and breathed, reeling in the burning irritation.

"Are you going to be this much of an asshole to force me to say it?" Camila's voice was thick and had a hint of impatience, but the dirty blonde could hear the nervousness hiding behind it all. "Dinah. I'm in..." She stopped and swallowed for a moment, struggling to try and say it. "I'm I-In..."

"Karla." Camila opened her eyes at her government name, the name that she can never find herself to hate as long as it came from Dinah's mouth. She met the girl's affectionate gaze and watched as the brown shade she fell in love with flickered down to her lips, unashamed.

"Please," she whispered softly, "Just kiss me."


	7. Chapter 7

It was...strange.

It was strange to feel a jaw that wasn't scratchy, rough and bruised, indications of a boy trying to copy a man's routine. It was strange to taste strawberries on lips Dinah knew had only touched chocolate, popcorn, and sprite the whole day. It was strange that Camila's lips didn't just feel like lips. It was strange to Dinah to find out that the stereotypes were true.

It really did feel like fireworks.

Dinah pulled back slowly, her lips tingling from the kiss in a way she's never felt before. She stared at Camila's mouth with her eyebrows furrowed as if she were expecting to see it spark and flicker like an open wire. It wasn't until her curious eyes flickered up to anxious orbs did she realize that there was nothing wrong with Camila.

There was never anything wrong with her.

The Cuban's mouth opened and closed a few times in embarrassment, not understanding the look the girl was giving her and ultimately fearing the worst. "I- I'm sorry Dinah I-"

The rest of Camila's sentence fell on Dinah's lips as she kissed her with a passion that nearly made her moan. And when a tongue swiped at her bottom lip for entrance Camila really did moan.

Because Dinah tasted like a contradiction.

She tasted like something forbidden but at the same time she tasted like something promised. Her lips were a trap laced with velvet and tongue an intruder with a reservation. Her hands were matches on Camila's body, sparking flames at every soft touch.

Camila was drowning in the flame licking love; suffocating under the liberating sensation of being pinned down and weak; ignited from the scorching comfort and feeling as though she were being burned alive from the inside out, she was drowning but she didn't want to be saved.

Camila tasted like innocence and lightning.

The movements against Dinah's mouth were slow and almost timid- except maybe timid wasn't the right word. It was more like she was trying to commit this moment to memory- yes, that's it- Camila was savoring her.

Dinah's lips were magnetized to her skin. The way her breath, hot and heavy treasured every curve, bruise and scar Camila had managed to paint on her body over her careless years caused something short of a voltaic surge to course through her body.

In short, the room had sparked into something hot and electric, desperate and hungry, lovely and needy; passionate.

It was Camila now, who had Dinah pinned on her back, scraping her teeth along her collarbone and running her hands down the sides of her stomach. The Tongan's button down had been torn open and tossed ages ago, allowing curious hands to meticulously explore every dip and curve just above her waistline.

Save for the heavy breathing and periodical whimpers, Camila's name filled the silence of the room. The older girl had found a fascination in Dinah's pulse point, amused at the way it reacted as her fingers ran over the contours of her body. The moment Camila's thumb glided over the area closest to the band of her very short shorts, Dinah's hips jumped and she let out a sharp gasp.

"Shit." she cursed and shuddered when the girl curiously repeated the action "I-I'm sensitive there." Dinah explained.

"Hmmm" Camila licked her lips as her eyes flitted down her body, taking in the girl's hardened buds that poked through her bra and mass of goose bumps littered on her skin. Brown eyes darkened and dilated as she hovered over her, possibly getting drunk at the power she had over her. "Your hips?"

With her eyes still closed, Dinah nodded weakly. "Yeah," She breathed, "It kinda makes me crazy. Don't- KARLA" Dinah's back arched off the ground when hands pressed down harder on hips and slowly slid her down the girls shorts.

Dinah struggled to breath when Camila slid her hands back up again, leaving her bottoms perched just under hip bone and exposing the edge of the V line. Suddenly an overwhelming pressure filled the space in between Dinah's leg and the girl all but screamed.

"Karla FU-mph." Camila swallowed Dinah's moans as she kept circling her thumb around her most sensitive area, causing her hips to jump and grind directly into Camila's thigh. Every time she made contact Dinah moaned into the Cuban's mouth, only encouraging her and starting the cycle once again. The dirty blonde whimpered when Camila dipped her head lower, dragging her plump lips along the edge of her bra and fingering the hooks on the back, asking for permission. After a silent approval from Dinah, Camila unhooked the clasp and tossed the garment to the side.

And then Camila sat up for a moment, taking in every detail Dinah had to offer.

There was a thin sheet of sweat glistening off of the Tongan's rich, sun-kissed skin, making her look nothing short of a glowing, golden, goddess. Her bare chest rose and fell at an irregular pace, matching the tempo of her shallow breathing and competing with the slow grind of her ever-moving hips. Waves of dirty blonde hair poured in every direction from Dinah's crown, creating a wild, beautiful halo just above her head. Bite-sized bruises danced across the length of her neck, marking the young woman's unspoken change in title from single to claimed and Dinah's mouth, now plump and parted, still had a half crescent tear resting on the corner of her bottom lip.

"God, you're beautiful." Camila breathed finally. "I wish you could see what I see, D. I wish you could understand... understand how I- no what I feel for you." She raised a hand to the side of her face, gently stroking the heated skin with the pad of her thumb.

Dinah was silent as she stared at the eyes filled more with love than with lust. Her body shuddered with goose bumps and the pit of her stomach simultaneously tightened and fluttered. This wasn't the first time she's been on her back, listening to someone's sweet nothings and empty compliments. Except this time, the compliments were loaded and the sweet nothings are sincere something's.

Dinah has been able to hide her insecurities for awhile now. She's learned to fake it for her fans, knowing that there were thousands of girls who looked up to her because of the confidence she displayed but... that's all it ever was. It was a display. An act. She wouldn't go as far as saying that she hated herself, but damn if Dinah didn't wish her body were different.

But right now, half naked and underneath the gaze of her best friend, she's never felt so beautiful.

"Ka-Karla I-" Lips pressed against hers softly, silencing her.

"I know, D." Camila's voice was barely above her whisper as she spoke against her mouth, her face not even an inch away from Dinah's. She wiped away the tears on the other girls face with the pad of her thumb. Dinah didn't even realize she was crying.

She closed her eyes when Camila kissed her again, feeling the love the Cuban was trying so hard to channel through it, knowing it was genuine. Dinah moaned when hands went back to her hips, teasing them before finding their way to the button of her jean shorts. Camila broke the kiss to move down her body, her lips trailing from her jaw to the base of her neck. She left the now unbuttoned shorts at the girls hips and instead went to her breasts, exploring one with her mouth and the other with her hand, using nothing but sounds of Dinah's moans as direction.

Her tongue ran across the sensitive bud before circling her lips around it.

"God Karla." Dinah groaned as Camila pinched the other nipple. "Have you done this before?"

Camila released the bud with a pop, and looked at her with worry. "No." she answered quietly. "Do...Do you like it?"

Dinah opened her eyes and sat up, not believing what she had asked. "Do I like it??" She nearly screeched. "Fuck Mila I- I don't even know how to- how to even begin to explain how much I-" Dinah paused for a moment, needing to catch her breath. In truth, Dinah felt fucking overwhelmed at how good it all felt. If only Camila knew how wet she was right now...

The Tongan bit her lip and glanced at the girl who still sat just below her hips, waiting for her to finish what she was saying.

"You wanna know if I like it?" Dinah husked, grabbing the girls hand and leaning in closer. Camila gulped and nodded "Then maybe you should check for yourself." Dinah led the girls hand, palm up, to her naval and slowly trailed downwards to her shorts. The moment Camila's hand disappeared behind the jeans, both girls let out a moan.

"Jesus Dinah." Camila moaned, "you're so... you're so fucking wet." The Cuban ran her fingers along the length of Dinah's sex, loving the way it quivered at every touch. Feeling another girl was so curious to her, the way her fingers gently slipped between her folds, the wetness that no doubt covered her whole hand, the fact that Camila never wanted to stop rubbing her, feeling her, touching her, drove Dinah completely crazy.

"Mila, fucking hell just- please I need you. I need you in-inside- fuck." Camila was all too happy oblige. Being inside of Dinah felt so much better than teasing her. Without any further plea, Camila added another finger. And then she was curious as to how far her fingers could go.

"Karla!" Damn. Camila really loved it when Dinah said that name. Slowly, she started pumping into her, curling against the same spot that caused Dinah to scream and marveling at the expressions on that beautifully sculptured face.

Dinah's fingers clutched the carpet beneath her as her breathing became shallow and moans got louder. Her hips rolled against Camila's hand, humping it erratically, desperate for release.

"Karla I-I'm so close. Please I can't-" With a bite of her lip, Camila concentrated on moving her thumb upwards, looking for the one thing that would send her over the edge. she glided it up and up until-"K-KAR-LA" she found her clit.

Dinah opened her mouth in a soundless scream as her back arched from the floor, her legs trembled from the power of her orgasm until she finally collapsed. She laid there for a moment panting and whined when Camila pulled out. Still dazed from coming, Dinah almost missed the way Camila looked at her own hand in curiosity. She almost missed the way Camila stuck the digit in her mouth, sucking it clean. She almost missed the sudden predatory gaze directed at her. Almost.

With a lick of her lips, Camila tugged off the shorts completely and wasted no time in licking the still wet center.

"Oh Chr-ist" Dinah's eyes rolled to the back of her head, letting out strangled moans as the girl greedily lapped up everything Dinah had to offer. She ran her tongue along the length of her folds, taking her time at her clit before sliding her tongue inside of her.

"KARLA! JESUS SHIT!" Camila took both the scream and the tangled tug of her hair as encouragement. Without stopping, Camila lifted Dinah's legs over her shoulders for better access. In seconds, she had Dinah crying out her name again before falling back in exhaustion. Camila cleaned up the mess at Dinah's legs then climbed up to her lips, kissing her.

It was strange for Dinah to taste herself on Camila's lips, but she couldn't deny that it was kinda hot.

The Cuban pulled away after a minute, looking up at her with those big brown timid eyes and asked "Are you okay? Was... Was all that... Okay?"

And if Dinah could, she would've laughed because of course Camila would be the only one who didn't know what it looked like when someone was completely spent.

But for right now all Dinah could do was tug the girl down to her body and wrap one arm around her waist. With her free hand Dinah cupped the side of her face and kissed her again.

"Just give me a minute," Dinah mumbled against her lips with a smile "And I'll show you exactly how Okay that was."


	8. Chapter 8

Ally could understand why Normani loved the stars so much.

They were beautiful.

Ally could understand why Normani found so much comfort underneath the night too.

Just by looking up and thinking about how many stars are in the sky, and how many planets are out there, and how many galaxies and universes and other life forms that exist without our knowledge, well.

It kinda makes your life feel insignificant doesn't it?

It makes all of your fears, problems, troubles, and sadness just seem... selfish.

Because really, in this universe where there is too much of everything and everyone, you don't really matter.

Therefore your fears, problems, troubles, and sadness just... don't really matter either.

"Ally? You there?" A familiar voice crackled over the phone that was clutched too tightly in her hand. "Did you hear what I said?"

It just so happens that Troy is the universe.

And Ally doesn't matter.

"Yeah! Yeah, that's fine. I totally agree with you!"

You can't just deny the universe. That's like denying God.

So, this is fine.

"Allyson... don't do that." Troy's voice was soft and tone sounded worried.

How sweet of him to care about her like that.

"Don't do what? I told you it was fine and I understand. I mean... I'm not gonna lie, I sorta wish you told me sooner." Ally's tone was light as she joked with her... with the boy on the other line.

"Really? That's it? You're not mad or anything?"

"I mean..." Ally sighed but still kept a small smile on her face "Is this something you really want to do? That you feel is gonna be right for our relationship?"

Troy didn't even hesitate. He must've been thinking about this for awhile. "Yes! I- I mean I really do. I can't believe you're okay with this! Thank you baby! I love you so much!"

The sound of his excitement almost made Ally's smile real. Almost.

"Of course, you do."

He didn't hear the edge in her voice. How could he. He was the universe and the universe was happy. Ally didn't really matter. The stars looked different.

"Hey babe, I'll call you back later okay? Thanks again for this but I uh- I gotta go."

"Yeah okay, I'll talk to you-" The line was dead. And she pretended she didn't hear the other voice at the end of the call. She pretended she couldn't hear the whispers in the background.

Not once did Ally's gaze falter from the sky. But her vision changed.

Somewhere along the way the stars blurred together, making the once black and white night turn gray and hazy. She could feel a few drops on her face, streaking down her cheeks like hot salty tears. And then Ally realized that they were tears.

The dirty blonde exhaled and gasped again, coughing. How long had she been holding her breath? How long had she been crying? What did she have to be sad about? She was too insignificant in the world to be sad.

No, she was sad because parts of her world were missing. Lauren and Normani. Two of the four biggest idiots of her life were gone. This. This she could be sad about.

Ally closed her eyes for a moment, waiting for the tears to come, waiting for the scream erupt, waiting for... the sadness.

But instead of being overwhelmed by a feeling she didn't want she was met with a familiar sound that never failed to make her happy. Faintly, very faintly, she could hear the words of Lauren's love song.

"... got this look I can't describe. You make me feel like I'm alive..."

With tears in her eyes for a different reason altogether, she looked up again, swearing that Lauren's voice was coming from heaven. Just in that moment, a star shot across the dark night, disappearing behind the roof of the building.

The roof.

Of course, that made sense. Normani loved the stars. She felt comfort underneath the night. If she were ever in any distress, she would always be on top of the tallest building. She would always try to be the closest to the sky. Normani would be reaching for the stars.

While Lauren was afraid of heights.

The two biggest idiots.

The little woman couldn't help but let out an airy laugh as she walked back into the hotel lobby, finding the absolute most amusement out of her bandmates. As Ally strolled through the lobby she scanned it for any employers, and smiled when she found who she was looking for. Walking her way was a young technician with his head down, too engrossed into his phone to notice her. A chain of keys jingled at his side with every step he took and Ally thought this was all too easy.

"Oh God! I'm so sorry miss! Are you okay?" The dark-skinned technician spoke with a southern accent as he held onto her shoulders, trying to steady the little woman he nearly knocked over.

"No, no! I'm fine, sorry. I should have watched where I was going." Ally apologized sheepishly, giving a reassuring squeeze on his hip.

There was a short pause as he stared at the little woman a while longer, almost as if he were in a trance. "My God you're beautiful." He breathed, softly. Suddenly his eyes widened in embarrassment. "I- I mean that's not... I uhm... I didn't... Have-Have a good night." Before Ally could respond the young man stumbled past her and sped walked to the lobby door.

Brown eyes followed the curly haired boy, a small, genuine smile on her lips. "Good night." She whispered back, even after the doors had long since shut behind him.

The smile on her face was still there as she rode the elevator up to the roof. She glanced down at the keys in her hands, almost feeling bad for having taken them from a guy so sweet. Almost.

As sweet and cute as he was, she needed the keys to access the elevator to the roof.

Soon the lift stopped at the very top and slid open. Immediately, Ally was graced with the same husky voice she heard 21 stories away. Something that should've been impossible.

"If I had to choose, between the stars and you, will you help me paint the sky a different color?" There was nothing there. All she saw were rusty pipes, open space and the stars in the sky. "If I had to choose, between the moon and you, do you think that sea would really suffer?" She stepped off the elevator, surprised that it didn't shut behind her and followed the voice. "If I had to choose, between you and the air I breathe, can I spend my last breath on your lips?" She walked around the brick built stature, careful of the wires and stopped. She found them. Lauren sat with her back to the bricked wall, holding Normani in her arms in the exact way she always wanted to. Tenderly, yet protectively. With Normani's head resting on her shoulder and their hands interlocked. "If I had to choose. If I had to choose. Don't you know it'd always be you?"

The stars have never looked more beautiful.

"You're right, lo." Lauren jumped, startled at the voice and turned to Ally. "You two are so much better than Romeo and Juliet."

"Ally, Oh my God." the pale face lit up in both relief and excitement. "I have never been so happy to see your beautiful face ever in my life!"

"Yeah, I could say the same thing." Ally scoffed as she made her way closer to the girls. She had half a mind to start the chastising lecture right then and there because how dare they worry her like that? Do they know how long they've been missing? Couldn't Lauren have at least told somebody where she thought Normani might be? And Normani, Jesus Christ... Ally's gaze flickered over the dark-skinned girl, who slept soundly in the arms of her bandmate.

The poor girl. Ally's lips pulled into a concerned pout as she pushed a strand of silver hair from Normani's face. Though closed, her eyes were puffy and tear stains streaked her face. Her skin felt warm to the touch and the little woman wondered if she had a fever.

"How was she? When you found her?"

"She was... She was bad Ally." Brown eyes glanced at Laurens face. "Camila used to have panic attacks. You know that. But none of them... none of them were ever like that before. I think- I don't think Mani's ever had one before tonight." Green eyes met Ally's gaze. "She was so scared, Al. She couldn't breathe or anything and- and I felt so helpless..."

Ally furrowed her brow in empathy and placed a comforting hand on the girls shoulder, letting her know she was here now. "How did she come down from it?"

And at that question, the depressing atmosphere vanished as a smile crept to Lauren's lips.

"Uhm I... I started talking to her." She shrugged weakly as color rose to face. "I mean... Like I said, I felt pretty useless at the time. I didn't have my phone, Normani was hyperventilating and freaking out too bad to carry her down the stairs and the only thing I had was this dumbass guitar so... I just... talked."

The shy smile that grew on Lauren's face had made it clear to Ally exactly what happened. Hell, she could guess it from the way she held her, but still Ally asked "What'd you talk about?"

"I-I uhm... I told her how I felt. And then I ended up spilling about the song I wrote and she told me to sing it and then she..." Lauren paused for a moment, her smile too big to even speak. "And then she kissed me."

"Fucking finally" Ally sighed and plopped down next to the girls. Lauren gasped and looked at her with wide eyes, mocking offense.

"Allyson Brooke Hernandez! Language!"

The little woman chuckled and raised her hands in defense "Hey y'all the ones who took way too long to get it together." With a small shove in Lauren's shoulder, Ally got up again and held out her hand.

"Now come on, let's get you two outta here."

"Uh," Lauren glanced nervously from the extended hand to the girls face before avoiding her gaze altogether. "R-right. I uhm... yeah that's- that's not a pr-problem..."

Ally softened her gaze and sighed. "Y'know what I don't get about you lo? You've been on rollercoasters before. You've been on the tallest rides in the park. Heck you're the one dragging us to go on the rides that take you like 50 stories up and drop you down with five seconds! But the moment we're on top of a roof in a hotel 21 stories high, it's suddenly scary."

Idiot.

Lauren's face burned and she puffed her cheeks out "Are you fucking human Ally?" She hissed, clutching onto the girl in her arms tighter. "There are seatbelts on a rollercoaster! They have straps and bars and fucking safety precautions there to ensure that no one fucking dies!" Ally stepped back carefully, avoiding the pipes and cords but keeping her eyes trained on the girl. "The whole point of a rollercoaster is to feel like you're dying without actually dying but this," slowly, with Normani in her arms, Lauren started to stand up as if to make a gesture of the whole situation. "Is fucking suicide!"

Ally suppressed her smile and tried to keep up the act. "Oh please," she rolled her eyes "What's a couple of wires and a fenceless roof? As long as you're not close to the edge, it's fine."

"The edge is literally everywhere!" Lauren gapped in a whisper yell, as if she were trying not to wake up Normani and subconsciously followed Ally through the roof. "Al, one wrong step and we're toppling over the fucking building!"

"Huh, is that so?" the dirty blonde tapped her cheek for a moment in thought then shrugged and turned around with a smirk on her face. "Guess you better make all the right steps then!" She called back.

Oh Lauren was fuming.

"Make all the right... I AM CARRYING PRECIOUS CARGO HERE YOU ASS!" The pale girl snorted in anger and followed the little woman, ready to tell her off. "Do you fucking think this a joke Allyson!? I literally just got the love of my life and you're making jokes about us fucking dying?? I swear to every God Ally I will-"

And Lauren paused for a moment, blinking and taking in her surroundings.

"You'll what, Lo?" Ally asked with a grin "Thank me?"

"I... How did?" the raven haired beauty glanced at the elevator walls. "Honestly what the fuck?"

"You have a tendency to physically follow people in an argument." Ally explained, stepping around her and pressing a button. "I think it's some sort of superiority complex or something. I'm not sure. But I finally know now that you do it subconsciously, so there's that."

Lauren just stared at her dumbfounded and confused. "...What?"

"I breadcrumbed you to the elevator by pissing you off." Ally shrugged again.

If Lauren had been in her right state of mind, she would have realized that there was something off about her. She would have seen the dimmed look in her eyes and the way her smile didn't shine quite as bright. If Lauren hadn't been tired, flustered, confused, and exhausted she would've noticed. But she didn't.

And Ally didn't blame her.

Ally didn't matter.

With a sigh Lauren leaned against the wall, taking in her words. After a few seconds she let out a breathless laugh.

"If you weren't dating Troy, I'd kiss you right now."

For a fleeting moment a thought went through Ally's mind.

Actually, you could now.


End file.
